The Progress. [volume] (White Earth, Minn.) 1886-1889, 1887-10-08
From The Council Fire. !
ILLEGAL COURTS FOR GOVERNING
INDIANS.

In 1883 a clerk in the Indian
Office at Washington formulated
a code of laws for the government
Of reservation Indians. Commiss-
Toner Price gave this code of laws
his official sanction, and Secretary
Teller ordered it's adoption and en-
forcement by agents. This code
Of laws is without authority in the
Constitution or status Of the Uni.
ted States,* and is in direct viola.
ton Of the treaty rights of the In
dams, who, in most cases, are by
treaty guaranteed the right of To-
cal self-government. Commission
er Atkins admits the illegality of
the code, yet, by implication, he
indorses it. HI. quotes from, Indi-
an agents at various agencies IN
approval of it, &c.
Readers of the Council Fire will
remember that we published an
interview with General Millroy in
the number for October, 1884, in
which the General gives full his
tory of how the Indians on the
Yakima Reservation govern them.
selves and punish Indians for do
ing wrong by a code of laws form
ulated by the Indian council under
his advice. He says that this In
dian code was in full operation
before the Dept code reached him,
and he allowed it to stand, and
the Department code was not put
in force on the Yakima Reserva-
ton. The Indians on this reser-
walton are loyal to their own laws
and enforce them without Difficult.
ty, while the Indians everywhere
that the Department code is forced
upon them) complain that it is a
violation of their rights and if
they obey it they do so under pro.
test. We regret that our new
Commissioner has been misled in
to the practical Endorsement of
this, one eff the most VIGOROUSLY
ILLEGAL and vicious of the acts of
the former administration. We
sincerely hope that when he shall
have studied this matter more
carefully he will change his policy
in this respect. =
49, - A 4Sa !ga';. III Sec / The judicial Pow
supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as
the Congress- may from, time to time ord;lin
and establish. The Judges, both Of the SUI
Offices during good Behavior, aud shall, ut
stated Times, receive for their Services, a
Compensation, which shall not he diminished
during their Continuance in Office.
SECTION. 2 The judicial Power shall ex-
under this Constitution, the Laws Of the Uni
ted states, and Treaties made, or which shall
be made, under their Authority Ito all Cases
affecting Ambassadors, other public Minis
tiers, and Consuls TO all Cases Of admiralty
and maritime jurisdiction Ito Controversies
to- which the United States shall be u Party =
to Controversies between two or more States !;
between State and Citizens of another
State ;-betWcen Citizens Of different States
between Citizens of the same State claiming
Lands under Grants of different States, and
between q State, or the Citizens thereof, and
foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other
which State shall he a Party, the supreme
Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all
the other Cases before mentioned, the SUI
both as to Law and Fact, with such Excep-
! tfoi,s, and other such Regulations as the Con-
grpsS shall make
The Trial Of all Crimes, except in Cases of
impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such